Need a program to identify Eagles wide receivers

Injuries and the release of Jackson have created improbable openings.

August 13, 2014|By Nick Fierro, Of The Morning Call

FOXBORO, Mass. — — Nobody on this earth, or perhaps even above or beyond, could have looked at the Philadelphia Eagles after their first-round playoff loss in January and envisioned a potential starting wide receiving corps of Brad Smith, Ifeanyi Momah and Arrelious Benn for their second preseason game seven months later.

But that's the direction it could be headed after DeSean Jackson's departure, Riley Cooper's foot injury and now another injury, albeit minor, suffered by Jeremy Maclin on Wednesday while catching a touchdown pass against the New England Patriots in their rain-soaked joint practice.

Maclin tweaked a hamstring and was done for the day. After practice, he downplayed the significance.

"It's not a big deal," he said. "We'll go back and treat it and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow."

Maclin, of course, is coming off ACL surgery that cost him the entire 2013 season.

When he went down Wednesday, he seemed more perturbed than injured, cursing a little as he walked toward the trainer.

"I just knew that once that happened, I was going to shut it down for the day," Maclin explained.

Maclin had been playing well before that incident, including upstaging top cornerback Darrelle Revis the day before.

Maclin missing the last half of practice opened the door for Benn to get in more with the first team, where Momah already has been embedded since Cooper went down, and Smith has been since the start of camp as the No. 1 slot option.

Smith, a versatile athlete who's played quarterback in the NFL, was identified by coach Chip Kelly before practice as really having helped himself from the start by being able to make an immediate impact on special teams.

"When you look at Brad, he's a four-core special teams guy and is constantly making tackles on the kickoff cover team and plays wing or personal protector on the punt team, can return kickoffs and is on our punt-return team and also can play multiple positions on offense," Kelly said. "I think it just helps the depth, especially on game day, when you only have 46 guys active, to be able to have somebody that can play a lot of different roles and also back up in a lot of different roles certainly helps.

He's also former quarterback so he's your emergency quarterback on game day. It's a huge plus, but I think really for that bottom part of the roster, I think it really becomes essential."

Smith would seem to have his spot nailed down.

But for Momah and Benn, who were considered long shots at best heading into camp, maybe all these unexpected extra opportunities will pay off with a surprise move or two on the day of final cuts.

Momah is clearly ahead at this point, using his long, 6-foot-7 frame to go over top of cornerbacks. It was something he didn't do enough of last season, when he also struggled on special teams, essentially sealing his fate.

No matter what happens with Maclin and Cooper before Friday, we'll see a lot more of Momah, Benn, Jeff Maehl, Damaris Johnson and rest of the "bubble" receivers this week and again in Week 4 of the preseason, when most of the projected starters will sit against the New York Jets.

Observations

How is that S Patrick Chung can consistently make plays for the Patriots — he intercepted a tipped pass Wednesday — during a pair of stints in New England interrupted by a total failure in Philadelphia last season?

TE Zach Ertz was the star of the day, making a number of big catches in traffic and showing great ability to get yards after those catches. If he can improve his blocking to a level close to that of Brent Celek's, he will one season catch 80-plus passes.

Playing in that newly configured spaceship that is Chicago's Soldier Field knocked rookie WR Jordan Matthews back to Earth a bit, and he's been just OK this week. But you can still see the star power in him the way he finishes off plays. He clearly envisions breaking free for a touchdown every time he touches the ball.

The longer RB Chris Polk (hamstring) is out, the more you have to wonder about his ability to help this year or his future in general in the league. He's had one injury after another since falling out of the draft in 2012 due to medical concerns. Otherwise, he would have been snagged by no later than the end of the third round.

Nate Allen again took all the first-team reps at safety as second-year man Earl Wolff walked to the bus with an ice pack on his right knee.

Play of the day

TE James Casey making an impressive one-handed snag of a pass over the middle from Matt Barkley.

Stock rising

C David Molk. He's getting all kinds of chances now to show what he can do now that Julian Vandervelde is out indefinitely following back surgery. He's impressed the coaches too.

Stock falling

K Carey Spear. He was missing too much in good weather, then completely melted down in the rain here Wednesday. He has no chance.

In the spotlight

The offseason program. Coach Chip Kelly before practice pointed out how each player the Eagles picked up during the season last year — DE Brandon Bair, WRs Jeff Maehl and Brad Smith and LB Najee Goode — appears so much more improved after having a year in the system.